Channel clip



Oct. 3, 1933. E BOYLE 1,929,302

CHANNEL CLIP Filed 001;. 26, 1931 Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention deals with improvements in channel clips widely used in building construction. Extensive use is now being made of metal channel bars inthe building up of a partition, ceiling or the like, Such bars are assembled in intersecting series to form a skeleton or backing on which there is applied a partition, ceiling or the like made of lath and plaster. or its equivalent composition sheet material. The ordinary widths of the customary channel bars are approximately one and one-half inches and three-quarter inches. The larger size is first set in place in a parallel series and the smaller size channel bars are then attached in a parallel series against the flanges of the larger channel bars and generally intersectingthe latter bars at right angles. Suitable attaching means or clips are required to hold the smaller bars in place against the larger bars. The smaller .bars serve to support metal lath and plaster or the like, and it is, therefore, necessary that the ties or clips shall be able to sustain a load of about one hundredpounds. In the fabrication of a building structure as above indicated the cost is largely determined by the amount of labor and time required to 'place the clips in position. Ordinary methods requirethe laborer to apply the clips by hand and fasten them by means .of a tool either a hammer or pliers. Thetime required to perform these operations necessarily limits the amount of work that can be expected of the laborer. I V My improved jclip hasbeen designed to providefrom slightly flexible but otherwise. stiff wire, an integral clip which may be applied to the structure in such a way as to provide a wide margin of safety in the sustaining of the necessary load. The designlof the article is such as to minimize the prospect of its being twisted out of shape duringits use. p v

Afurther object of my invention is to provide a device which-may be applied without the use of any tools whatsoever. g

' .[t follows fromthe design of the improved clip that a large number may be securely put in place inthe minimum amount of time and by relatively Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 butwith the flanges of the bar extending in the opposite direction; v A

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section showing the clip as it is applied and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the clip 'in intermediate position before its final adjustment or locking.

' By way of example I have shown in'the 'ac'-' companying drawing a channel bar 6 having upper and lower' flanges 7 and-8 (see 'Fig'. 3) extending to one side. A seri'es of these bars 6 are generally attached tothe buildingstructur'ein parallelarrangement and serve to hold a similar series of bars '9. The bars 9 are usually half the size of the bars 6. An upper flange-10 and lower flange ll'extend generally to one side of the bars 9. The flange 10 is adapted to rest against the flat outer surface of the flange 8' of the larger bar 6, in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3. 1

My improved clip denoted generally by the numeral 12 is proportioned to serve as a fastening to hold the channel bar 9 in position against the edge of the channel bar 6. The clip 12 comprises a transverse bottom 13 and parallel mem bers l4 and 15 extending at right angles to the member 13 for a distance substantially the sum' of the widths of the channel bars. The members 13,14 and 15 lie in a common plane and in the event that-the bars 9 are suspended'beneath the horizontal bars 6, these members constitute a stirrup for supporting the bars 9.

The free upper ends of themembers 14- and 15 are extended at right angles thereto' to provide shoulders 16 and 17 respectively. These -shoulders are in a plane at right angles to the plane of the stirrup. The shoulders are inclined to each other at an angle. As indicated in Fig.2 I have found it satisfactory to place the shoulders 16 and 17 at substantially right angles in their com mon plane although this angular relation may be varied within 'wide'limits and still accomplish its particular advantage. Bygiving these shoul ders such an angular relation it is possible to tilt transversely the shoulder 1'7 over the upper flange ordinary loads.

of the bars 6 while the shoulder 16 is substantially parallel to the plane of the side surface of the bar 6. The shoulder 17 then becomes a pivot around which the stirrup may be rocked to bring the shoulder 16 above the level of the upper flange 7 of the bar 6 and thus permit the shoulder 16 to be swung over the latter so that the plane of the stirrup coincides with the side wall of the bar 6 and the shoulders 16 and 17 are insplayedposition diagonally across the flange 7 thus increasing their hold upon the upper bar and preventing rocking of the shoulders or their accidental dislodgment.

The shoulder 17 ends in a downwardly extending detent 18. This detent contacts with the edge 01. the flange 7 during the operation of applying the clip and thus prevents the shoulder 17 from slipping off of the flange. The detent 18 forms a lock against inadvertent dislodgmentas willbe evident from Fig. 3.

g The opposite shoulder 16 ends in abight 19 which. extends downwardly in the same manner observed as to the lock 18- but with the added advantage of asmooth curved lower edge which will permit the bight 19 to ride easily across the flange 7 in the attaching operation- A. lever extends forwardly from the bightl9 in. the hori-' zontal plane determined by the shoulders 16 and 17. A finger piece 21 is. provided at the" forward end of the lever 20- andserves to give a conveniemt purchase the clip for locking it into, posi-- tion.

j The clip is readily made: from ordinary steel wire preferably about one-eighth of an inch in diameter. This: wire is quite stiif so that it will retain its shape during manipulation and under It has sufficient flexibility to permit manipulation in the manner. shown in Fig. 5--du-ring the.- final. operation of locking the clip in place. vAt the same time by disposing the several members in planes intersecting at right angles it is possible to obtain the maximum fastening-capacity. For example, when used in the construction of a ceiling where the load upon the individual clips may approximate one hundred pounds, the weight is carried as a direct longitudinal tension along the stirrup members 14 and: 115;.

The use of the clip as above described isclearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The workman holds the lower bar 9 with its flange; against the lower edge of the bar 6 and passes the members 14 and 15 upwardly around. the bar 9. The shoulder 17 is slipped transversely over the upperflange 7 and the detent l8 brought down beyond the flange tlms locking. the clip against removal" from the bar: 6-. In this position. the shoulder 17 extends transversely across the flange 7 and the shoulder 16 is consequently substantially parallel to the side wall of the bar 6 in thegeneral manner indicated in Fig. 4'. By grasping the finger grip 21 the shoulder 16 can be raised above the flange 7 of bar 6 while the. member .14 springs inwardly toward member 15. As shown inFig- 5 the bight 19 is allowed to rest upon the flange 7 and by means of the finger grip-2l can be pushed across, the flange until it springs down into place beyond the latter. During this operation the shoulder 17 swings horizontally around into its final position as shown in Fig. 2' where the detent l8 and the member 15 exert a frictional grip upon the opposed vertical surfaces of the channel bar- In like manner the shoulder 16 is under tension and.

clamps the detent 19 and member 14 similarly against the channel bar.

The lever 20 extends transversely of the bar 6 in the horizontal plane of the shoulders 16 and 17 while the finger grip 21 extends in the vertical plane of the members 14 and 15.

The bar 9 is, therefore, held tightly against the lower edge of the bar 6 by tension between the part. 13v andv the opposing parts 16 and 17-. The clip constrained from. dislodgment by means of the peculiar grip exerted by the detents 18 and I9 and the tension of shoulders 16 and 17. The splayed or angular relation between the shoulders permits the shoulder 17 to be used as a pivot'during the fastening operation before the shoulder 16- is brought over the upper bar. By bringing the lever 20 forwardly across the bar and providing the finger grip 21, suflicient leverage can be exerted upon the member 14 and shoulder 16to spring the detent 19 over the edge of the flange 7 and into locking position beyond the latter.

In showing the application of the clip to the 7 channel bars, Fig. 3 representsthe usual method of applying the clip against the flat surface 0! the web of the bar 6 and allowing the. lock. 18 and detent 19 to drop. over the free. edge of. the flange 7.v However, it is immaterial in. which direction the flanges extend and in 1, e and 5 the clip/has been shown asapplied over. the opened side of the channel bar with. the lock. 18 and detent 19 extending over the opposite. side surface of the web.. Fig. 2 shows. the operation to be the same for either. arrangement oi the channelbar 6.

The above description and. illustration are made solely for the purpose of. example. The proportions and. details of the. device may be varied and its materials may be modified. without. departing. from. the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A spring wire clip for channel bars comprising a stirrup, a pair of shoulders extending from the ends of the stirrup in a plane at right angles to that of the stirrup, locking means on the. free end of each shoulder and operating means connecting with one of said locking means, one of said shoulders being angularly disposed relative to the'other shoulder to permit unrestricted, piv otal movement of the stirrup around the second mentioned shoulder.

V 2.. A spring wire clip for channel bars comprising a stirrup, a. pair of divergent shoulders extending from the. ends of the stirrup'in a plane at right angles to that of the stirrup, a detent on the free end of one shoulder, a depending bight on the free end of the second shoulder and oper ating means connecting with said bight.

3. A spring wire clip for channel bars comprising a stirrup, a pair of divergent shoulders extending from the ends of the stirrup. in a plane at right angles to that of the stirrup, a detent on the free end of one shoulder, a lever and a depending bight connecting said lever with the end of the second shoulder.

4. A spring wire clip for channel bars comprising a stirrup, a pair of divergent shoulders extending from the ends of the stirrup in a plane at right angles to that of the stirrup, a detenton the free end of one shoulder, a lever, a depending bight connecting said-lever withthe end; of the second shoulder and a finger grip on the end of the lever. V

, 5. A spring wire clip for channel 'bars comprising a stirrup, the shoulders of saidstirrup being,

bent into a plane at right angles to that of said stirrup, one of said shoulders being bent back upon itself in the said plane to form an open bight and said bight and the free extremity of the other shoulder being bent down to form detents in a plane parallel to that of the stirrup.

6. A spring wire clip for channel bars comprising a stirrup, a pair of divergent shoulders extending from the ends of the stirrup in a plane at right angles to that of the stirrup, locking means on the end of one shoulder, means on the other shoulder for twisting the stirrup around said locking means and a bight on said other shoulder for holding the clip in torsional tension.

7. A spring clip for channel bars comprising a stirrup, a shoulder extending laterally from one end of the stirrup, and adapted to rest on a support, a lock on the end of the shoulder, a second shoulder extending laterally from the other end of the stirrup in the same plane with the first extending laterally from the other end of the stirrup in the same plane with the first shoulder but at an angle thereto, a lever connected to the second named shoulder for rocking the stirrup around the first shoulder as a pivot to bring the second shoulder over the bar and a lock between the lever and second named shoulder for holding the latter on the bar.

ELDRIDGE ROGER BOYLE. 

